Collapsible tube



Nov. 4, 1947, I C, DREYFUS 2,430,046

Filed Nov-[18, 1942 v INVENTQR Cumllle- Dregfus ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 4, 14947 camine Dreyfus, NewYork, NJ. Application November 18, 1942, Serial No. 465,946

s claims. (ci. 22a-107) This invention relates to containers, and relates more particularly to containers of the collapsible tube type made of organic film-forming materials.

Collapsible tubes having a basis of organic materials have been employed for packaging and dispensing tooth paste, petroleum jelly, creams such as shaving cream, cold cream and other products normally packaged in metallic collapsible tubes. However, the non-metallic collapsible tubes suiered from the disadvantage that the tube tended` to unroll after being rolled up upon itself from the bottom for the purpose of squeezing out its contents. tubes awkward to handle, necessitating the rolling up of the closed r empty end of the tube before each use to exert sufficient pressure on the contents thereof so that they may be expressedifrom the tube'. The unrolling of the tube often sucked air into the tube, and this caused the contents to spurt or bubble upon subsequent use, particularly where the tube contained creams or'pastes of the more fluid type. It is accordingly an important object of my invention to provide a collapsible tube made of organic materials which will be free from the foregoing and other disadvantages,"

Another object of my invention is the provision of a collapsible tube made 0f organic materials and having auxiliary means for overcoming the inherent tendency of the tube to unroll after it has been rolledup upon itself to express the contents thereof.

A further object of my invention is theprovision of a collapsible tube made of organic material and having aiiixed thereto along vits length at least one strip of a, suitable material, which strip is adapted to prevent the tube from unrolling after it has been rolled up upon itself in use.

Other objects of my invention will appear from the following detailed description and drawing.

In the drawing wherein certain modications of my invention are shown Figure 1 is a perspective View of a tube provided with a strip in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional View taken on line 2 2 in Figure l, and

Figures '3,'4 and 5 are cross-sectional views of modified forms of my invention.

Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views of the drawing.

The tube modified in accordance with my invention may be made of any suitable organic film-forming material and particularly a derivative of cellulose such as cellulose nitrate and or- This made partially lllled 2 ganic esters and ethers of cellulose. 'Examples of organic esters of cellulose are cellulose acetate, cellulose formate, cellulose butyrate, cellulose butyrate acetate, etc., while examples of cellulose` ethers are ethyl cellulose -and benzyl cellulose. Other organic nlm-forming compounds also may be employed, such as polymerized vinyl derivatives, .vinyl acetals, polymerized acrylic and methacrylic esters, polymerized styrene, and synthetic rubbers. The particular material employed in formingthe tube will depend somewhat upon the commodity to be placed in the tube. as one should not absorb or dissolve the other. Tubes having a basis of cellulose acetate have been found most suitable in most cases. The tube with walls of cellulose acetate may be coated on at least its inner surface with suitable coatings to protect it from substances otherwise deleterious thereto. For instance, tubes intended for tooth paste and the like may be coated with a compound containing parain, thus protecting the walls from the Water and soap vcontained therein, while tubes intended for facial creams and greases may be coated with a compound that is not affected by the medicants contained therein.

The organic film-forming material employed as the walls of the tube may be plasticized with suitable plasticizers. The materials may have vdyes added thereto, pigments incorporated therewith to make them opaque or translucent, or have other effect materials added thereto. amounts and types of these eiect materials varies with the particular type of nlm-forming material employed and the results desired, as is well understood in the art.

The body or cylindrical portion of the tube may be made in any one Voi. a number of ways such as by a dipping process, by dry extrusion, by blowing, by a combination of dipping or dry extrusion with blowing to enlarge the tube formed by the lirst step, by butt welding of lm or foil, by spiral wrapping of lm or foil, or by a combina- F tion of butt welding or spiral wrapping with dipping. l

Asan example of the dipping process, cellulose acetate may be dissolved in a sutlicient quantity of acetone and from 10 to 50 parts of a plasticizer such as diethyl phthalate to form a medium :duid dope. A chrome plated steel mandrel is then dipped in this solution several times, allowing each coating to dry before applying the next one so as to build the wall up to the required gauge. The mandrel is then immersed in warm water The.

. 3 and the tube body'blown off the mandrel with cold air forced through aduct in the mandrel.

In the dry extrusion process, a. composition comprising cellulose acetate containing 50 parts by weight of diethyl phthalate and parts by weight of dimethyl phthalate is prepared. This compound is then forced through a circular aperture of a hot nozzle which is kept at a temperature of about 325 tol350 F. If a thinner wall than it is possible to extrude commercially is desired, the gauge is obtained by blowing air inside the tube as it leaves the hot nozzle,

The collapsible tubes may be formed with one end closed or both ends open. Suitable shoulders or reducers with cap attaching heads may be attached to one end or molded thereon. The bottom end of the tube may be formed as a closed end, for instance by the dipping process, in which case the head is placed on the open end. Where the tube is formed with both ends open, the bottom end of the tube may be sealed by heat and pressure or by attaching a metal or plastic clamp to the end which is first folded over.

One form of tube is shown in Figure 1 where the reference numeral I indicates the substantially cylindrical body portion of the tube which has a shoulder 2 and a threaded head 3 for receiving a cap 3'. The bottom end dof the tube is closed by inserting and pinching. together vthe folded end in a V-shaped clamp 5. To prevent this tube from unrolling, I attach to the tube-at least one tape or strip 6. This strip may .be attached to the inside of the tube as shown in Figure 2 and covered'with a lm 1 of the same or dissimilar material as the tube. The film 1 may be a preformed film cemented to the strip 6 and the tube l by a suitable adhesive. or where the body of the tube I and the film 1 both are made of thermoplastic materials such as cellulose acetate, the edges of the film 1 may be made integral "with the body of the tube I by heat and pressure with or without solvents. The lm 1 may also be formed in situ by brushing over the strip 1 with a solution of a suitable film-forming Substance. The attachment of the strip 6 to the inside of the tube I does not affect the printing, decorations, color, etc., of the tube.

In Figure 3 the strip 6. is shown attached to the outside of the tube I by a lm 1 applied to the strip in the same manner as above. The modifications shown in Figures 2 and 3 may be applied to any type tube. However, they are particularly applicable to the so-called seamless type tubes. In the modification shown in Figure 4 the strip 6 is interposed in the lapped portion of a lateral seamed tube. In forming a tube from a strip of foil one edge 8 of the tube overlaps the other edge 9 and between the overlapped edges a strip 6 is placed and the edges 8 and 9 cemented down or fused together by heat and pressure with or without solvents.

In Figure 5 another modification of my invention is shown. Here a tube I has two strips II and I2 attached to two opposite sides of the tube. If desired, these strips may be creased to a V, as shown. These strips II and I2 may be attached inside or outside the tube in any manner, as

' stated above.

The strip ortape 6 may be of any suitable material, width and thickness. Thin strips of metal and also iron or copper wire of about 16 gauge have been found satisfactory where the'use of a small amount of metal is not objectionable. I have found that for the construction of containers without any metal that good results may be obtained by employing a strip or tape B of a. brittle paper or plastic material such that the strip will break at the bend when the tube is rolled up. For instance, an average-sized tooth paste tube requires a strip of brittle paperk of about inch wide and inch thick to prevent unrolling. Obviously, the size of the strip 6 will depend upon the size of the tube I, the thickness and composition `of its walls and the particular material of the strip. Paper that is tightly compressed and heavily lled with clays and/or other pigments are preferred, as these are relatively stiff until bent through a critical angle, when they break with a type of fracture that inhibits its unrolling. Paper coated or llled with resinous plastics are also advantageously employed. In some instances, however, a definite brittleness is not needed and a soft, more pliable paper, or even fabric, may be employed.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is given merely by way of illustration and that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A collapsible tube having a tubular body portion comprising an organic 'film-forming material and having attached thereto a strip of brittle material breakable on at least the surfaces thereof at spaced points along the length thereof without losing its continuity, when said collapsible tube is rolled upon itself.

2. A collapsible tube having a tubular body portion comprising an organic film-forming material and having attached thereto a brittle paper strip breakable on at least the surfaces thereof at spaced points along the length thereof without losing its continuity, when said collapsible tube is rolled upon itself.

3. A collapsible tube having a tubular body portion comprising cellulose acetate and having attached thereto a brittle paper strip breakable onat least -the surfaces thereof at spaced points along the length thereof without losing its continuity, when said collapsible tube is rolled upon itself.

4. A collapsible tube having a seamless tubular body portion comprising an organic film-forming material and having attached thereto a brittle paper strip breakable on at least the surfaces thereof at spaced points along the length thereof without losing its continuity, when said collapsible tube is rolled upon itself and a film covering said strip aiding in attaching said strip to said body portion.

5. A collapsible tube having a, tubular body portion comprising an organic nlm-forming material and having attached to the inside thereof a brittle paper strip breakable on at least the surfaces thereof at spaced points along the length thereof without losing its continuity, when said collapsible tube is rolled upon itself and a film covering said strip aiding in attaching said strip to the body portion.

6. A collapsible tube having a tubular body portion comprising an organic film-forming material and having attached tothe outside thereof a brittle paper strip breakable on at least the surfaces thereof at spaced points along the length thereof vwithout losing its continuity, when said collapsible tube is rolled upon itself 'and a film covering said strip aiding in attaching said strip to the body portion.

7. A collapsible tube comprising an organic film-forming material rolled to a tube having ya lateral seam and having between the overlapping edges of the lateral seam a strip 'of .brittlematerial breakable on at least the surfaces thereof at spaced points along the length thereof without losing its continuity, when said collapsible tube is rolled upon itself.

8. A collapsible tube comprising an organic film-forming material rolled to a tube having a lateral seam and having between the overlapping edges of the lateral seam a brittle paper strip breakable on at least the surfaces thereof at spaced points along the length thereof without losing its continuity, when said collapsible tube is rolled upon itself. l

CAMILLE DREYFUS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,322,426 Gearhart Nov. 18, 1919 2,176,109 Ratay Oct. 17, 1939 2,287,259 Lindstrom June 23, 1942 1,352,355 Cleveland Sept. 7, 1920 1,844,215 Edwards Feb. 9, 1932 1,909,199 Levin May 16, 1933 1,074,926 Bird Oct. 7, 1913 1,188,115 'Thompson June 20, 1916 

